I'll Be Your Family Now

Chapter 5: Train Ride

My arms circled the large iron rung as I brought up my hands and then my feet. Beatrice was above me, climbing up onto the ledge where the train would be coming down the tracks any minute. I took a deep breath and started climbing again, my rough hands holding onto the rungs as I pushed my body up with my legs. Beatrice's head poked up from the top and looked down at me. 

"Come on Mr. Four! It's coming!" She yelled with the wind whipping the hair around her face. I nodded and began climbing faster, I was almost there, I could see Beatrice extending her arm down to me. I reached out to grab it and she helped pull me over the side. I gasped and turned over to lay on my back. Beatrice dug her fingers into the fabric of my shirt and pulled me up to my feet.

"There it is!" she said, pointing down to the train rounding the corner and coming down the tracks towards us.

She pushed my back, "Start running!" She shouted. I snapped into reality and began digging my shoes into the asphalt. We ran with the train car for a few seconds, and then I threw myself sideways, placing my foot in the doorway of the train car. I clung to the handle on the doorway and held a hand out to Beatrice while my shoulder slammed against the moving train. She grabbed a hold of my arm and I winced slightly when I felt her nails dig into my wrist. I yanked her up though, and placed her small frame into the car. We both collapsed against the wall inside and watched as the city flew by through the open doorway. Sweat was dripping down my neck and my pulse still hasn't slowed. I looked over at Beatrice who seemed to be lost in her own little world. I waited a few minutes before asking her. 

"What're you thinking about?" I questioned. She snaps her neck to the side and blinks a few times as if she were broken out of a trance. 

"Oh, I dunno, just thinking about stuff," She replied, and I watched her left hand twitch slightly. 

"Okay," I said inaudibly. I knew she was thinking of something though, I could tell by the way she was furrowing her brows. 

I turned my head to look outside and saw that the sun was setting. I thought of a different moment, a different day, and a different Beatrice.

~~Flashback~~

"I have something to tell you," I say. Tris runs her fingers along the tendons in my hands and looks back at me. 

"I might be in love with you." I say with a small smile. "I'm waiting until I'm sure to tell you, though."

Tris smiles. "That's sensible of you. We should find some paper so you can make a list or chart or something." I laugh and slide my nose along her jaw, pressing my lips behind her ear. 

"Maybe I'm already sure," I say, "and I just don't want to frighten you." 

She laughs a little. "Then you should know better."

"Fine," I say. "Then I love you."

Then she kisses me and the train slides along the track into uncertain land. She reaches into her pocket and clutches the simultation data, before eventually holding it to her chest, and leaning her head on my shoulder as the train glides into the sunset. 

~~End of Flashback~~